Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean

The first studio album in almost four years sees Samuel Beam continue to push his own boundaries, defying any notions that he should be categorised merely by his Americana-tinged songwriting nous. There's less of the lo-fi introspection and more a picking up of the kaleidoscopic baton which began in earnest when he teamed up with Calexico on 2007's The Shepherd's Dog and introduced elements of blues and even dub as the living quarters in which to house his evocative allegories.

This go-round, drawing heavily on pop influences of the 60s and 70s (West Coast harmonies meeting prog rock experimentalism), Beam infuses tracks like the melodious first single Walking Far From Home with ominous synth and at times dystopic imagery. The influences are vast but reined in masterfully throughout, with little by way of unnecessary bombast. The funk-tinged Big Burned Hand is really a dark tale of war while closer Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me veers from upbeat African jazz into a surreally humorous Eastern Mantra which could be, and probably is about anything. And so Beam continues his progression through diversification without the loss of his trademark considered style. This is definitely his most enlightened work to date. [Paul Mitchell]